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Man Down (STEFANO).......SERIOUS R.T.A. 23rd DEC

Finally. 14 months and 5 days after knocking off work, I am able to return to duties. A phased in return will be implemented. But I find myself in the unenviable position that my income will be less than the current benefits I am receiving. It's a crazy situation, and one that I am asking you all, if you have any suggestions.
 
Hello chap, I wish I could help. I had an RTA in '89 (Hit a kerb cranked over,through a brick wall,helmet came off!!) and spent 9 months in Addenbrookes hospital Cambridge, with head(10 pieces!), face,chest, leg, back,arms...oh sod it most of me broken. I was on benefits for a few years after, desperate to get back to work. The benefits system has changed so much since then, seems like every government elected in attacks those on sickness/incapacity benefits first!! I sympathise with your awkward position.... and finding the motivation to work for peanuts. I had to do some crap jobs at first. Will you be returning to work with your previous employer? Can you not work out something with them? Or stay on benefits until fully fit and able to return to work full time and full wonga? Remember its not forever, time will pass and you'll soon be looking back on this. Also watch out for post traumatic stress, you been through a lot mate. P.m. me if you want. I really smashed myself up and maybe know how you feel. Good luck chap!:thumbup
 
Thanks Diablo. Post traumatic stress kicked in while I was in hospital, about 4 to 5 months after the event. I was very tearful all the time, and could not see a reason for coming out of it. I was under psych watch, and received counselling. Once I got out, things got better, and honestly, haven't looked back since.
I will be returning to my previous employer, who have been brilliant with me. Staying on benefit til fully fit would not do my mental wellbeing any good, and neither my waistline.
My action plan involves starting on 15 hrs a week, for 2 to 4 weeks, increasing by 3 to 5 hours a week, until I get strong enough to work full time, maybe in 15 to 20 weeks.
I have just spoken with DWP, and it seems that I can still get help with my mortgage and council tax, until I work full time. Let's hope it holds true.
You seem to have been through the grinder worse than me. As I see you are back riding, I can safely assume you are fully fit now.
My injuries were:
1. Open book pelvic injury with bi-lateral sacro-iliac disruption and sympysis pubis disruption
2. Comminuted fracture of right proximal femur
3. Fractured lateral tibial plateau right knee
4. Weber C fracture right ankle
5. Fractured right talus
6. Fractured left distal tibia
7. Fractured left distal fibula
8. Fracture and dislocation of left talus
9. Mesenteric vessel injury and subsequent small bowel perforation
10. Urethral stricture
Never the words light and tunnel applied so fittingly
 
I got knocked of in 02 took 18 months to start to repair had so much damage to tib fib and femur and calf muscle caught mrsa 4 times kept eating the bone away they were going to cut my leg off
Anyway I didn't go back to work till fully fixed and fit because the insurance wouldnt pay out till I was fit and I was going to lose all benefits sick pay which turned into incompacty and the insurances for credit cards and mortgage payment would stop
I was off for two years in total
 
jaseyb said:
I got knocked of in 02 took 18 months to start to repair had so much damage to tib fib and femur and calf muscle caught mrsa 4 times kept eating the bone away they were going to cut my leg off
Anyway I didn't go back to work till fully fixed and fit because the insurance wouldnt pay out till I was fit and I was going to lose all benefits sick pay which turned into incompacty and the insurances for credit cards and mortgage payment would stop
I was off for two years in total
Click to expand...

That sounds worse than mine. The police found no fault to be attributed to the other driver. So I may never get any insurance payout, and my mental health would benefit from getting back into society.
 
stefano said:
Thanks Diablo. Post traumatic stress kicked in while I was in hospital, about 4 to 5 months after the event. I was very tearful all the time, and could not see a reason for coming out of it. I was under psych watch, and received counselling. Once I got out, things got better, and honestly, haven't looked back since.
I will be returning to my previous employer, who have been brilliant with me. Staying on benefit til fully fit would not do my mental wellbeing any good, and neither my waistline.
My action plan involves starting on 15 hrs a week, for 2 to 4 weeks, increasing by 3 to 5 hours a week, until I get strong enough to work full time, maybe in 15 to 20 weeks.
I have just spoken with DWP, and it seems that I can still get help with my mortgage and council tax, until I work full time. Let's hope it holds true.
You seem to have been through the grinder worse than me. As I see you are back riding, I can safely assume you are fully fit now.
My injuries were:
1. Open book pelvic injury with bi-lateral sacro-iliac disruption and sympysis pubis disruption
2. Comminuted fracture of right proximal femur
3. Fractured lateral tibial plateau right knee
4. Weber C fracture right ankle
5. Fractured right talus
6. Fractured left distal tibia
7. Fractured left distal fibula
8. Fracture and dislocation of left talus
9. Mesenteric vessel injury and subsequent small bowel perforation
10. Urethral stricture
Never the words light and tunnel applied so fittingly
Click to expand...

Mate, I hope you recover as best you can from this. Looks like you've had a pretty bad time mentally as well as physically and thats to be expected after wot you've been through.

Getting back to work will be the best thing in the long run and it looks like you've got a good boss there.

Hope you get fully fit again mate and all the best to you,

Paul,
 
very pleased to hear you well on the road to recovery Stefano! and good luck with the return to work and admiring your courage :thumbup
 
I am really surprised at how well I am coping with the physical stresses of getting back to a working environment. Considering my body has been snapped, crackled and popped, it's holding up really well, for now. Who knows, maybe things will catch up with me, and I may have to slow down, but for now, it's full speed ahead, and speed can be very addictive...
 
stefano
i was knocked off at red traffic lights by a tart in a car:jack in july '09
she arse ended me at about 30-40 mph
i broke both knees and right thumb
but im still off work with my shoulder problem:(
i/doc's think i might not be able to return to the motor trade as a tech cuz i cant lift much
awaitin more dates at the hospital

i tuck out wages insurance 3 months b4 the accident thank god
wish the 6 numbers on the loto was that easy:lol

i would push so quick dude cuz the body needs longer than 14 months to recover
 
Great news for you stefano, i have followed your recovery as you had your accident just after i had got out of hospital after i had mine.

I'm still off work, still using a walking stick, and still going to hydrotherapy twice a week.

My only benefits i get are ESA, after being denied DLA twice now. But luckily, i have a great solicitors who are getting me interim payments from the other parties insurance company.

I have just seen a pain consultant and am awaiting steroid injections to try to ease the pain in my back.

The jobcentre have told me when i am able to, i can work upto 16 hours a week, and my benefits wont be affected, but thats a long way off yet.

Also just being prescribed a anti-depressent to help deal with the ptsd i have been diagnosed with, but not seen any improvement yet.

To help me kill time, i have been doing a total strip and rebuild of my little zxr, and when thats finished, reckon i will start on the mrs bandit.

If i even mention getting back on a bike, her face tightens and cringes, but she knows i will be back on a bike as soon a i am 100% fit.
 
Sorry to hear your plight is taking longer to heal, Beanie. I know exactly how you feel. I was diagnosed with PTSD while I was in hospital, and they tried to prescribe medications, but I refused, purely on the basis that it would be on my record, and any employer may discriminate against me. But I found that counselling did a great job for me. All I really needed was to talk about my feelings, cry many tears and get out of the hospital. Honestly, getting out was the best thing that I could have done, despite being petrified of leaving that safe environment. What really drove me to health, though, was the fact that I really wanted to return to work, where I feel alive and involved. Make no mistakes, I am in constant pain, sometime I am driven to tears by pain, but there is no place I 'd rather be. So much so that I have just put myself in line for a steroid injection in my ankle joint, with no guarantee that it'll work.
But if you want to talk to me, Beanie, PM me your number, and I will give you a call.
PS: I am surprised mrs bandit only tightens her face and not poison your tea. She has gone through everything you have gone through, and then some, and hearing that you are willing to risk it all again must give her sleepless nights. Our mrs's have been the strenght and bone to hold it all together when we couldn't. Give her a bit more respect and listen to her.
 
Despite my great leaps and strength of character, my "so called" understanding and supporting employer has called me into a meeting and "off the record" asked me to either leave or have my life made difficult so that I will be fired through poor performance. So much for the "your job is safe", "the position will always be yours" and the "trust me" speech they have been throwing my way. Now I have to seriously think about re-training and a new career, because as much as I think this country is the fairest of the lot as far as employment laws and opportunities go, I am still damaged goods, and on a race for a job, I will always be disadvantaged. They had the ******* cheek to cite that I took a loan of £5,000 for my season ticket, I spend little time at home with the family and I am constantly in pain. What ******* right do they have to say that?? It never bothered them before when I was pulling 15-16 hour-shifts, whereas now I can only manage 12-14 hour-shifts. I am angry now....
 

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